A conventional high-speed electronic solenoid of the fuel injector type includes an armature mounted for movement with respect to a stator core to open and close an injector valve. During operation of the injector, the armature impacts against the stator core upon opening of the injector and the injector valve impacts against the valve seat upon closing of the injector. Such impacts generate noise, wear, and fatigue of parts and can cause bounce which reduces the accuracy of fuel metering. Mechanical designs exists to address some of these problems, but no totally mechanical solution has been demonstrated to date, especially one which reduces injector noise.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide electronic control of an armature of an electromagnetic solenoid of the fuel injector type to produce a quiet or "soft" (near zero velocity) landing of the armature against a stator core and of the injector valve against the seat, so as to prevent excessive impact wear, to reduce the amount of noise produced by such impact, and to reduce bounce.